6000 UN peacekeepers to leave Ivory Coast next year

The UN Security Council has voted to lift remaining sanctions on Ivory Coast and pull out peacekeepers next year. The decision signals the West African country is on the right track, following years of instability.

About 6,000 UN peacekeepers and international police will leave Ivory Coast by next April, and in June the UN mission will officially close after 12 years in the country.

The Security Council also voted to immediately lift an arms embargo as well as travel bans and asset freezes on several individuals.

France’s ambassador to the UN, Francois Delattre, said after the unanimous Thursday vote that the international mission had been “a success story.”

He said the end of the UN peacekeeping mission and lifting of sanctions showed “the amazing path taken by Ivory Coast on the way to peace, reconciliation and security.” Read more